The U.S. military is considering replacing its outdated physical fitness exam with a more rigorous template designed to better prepare soldiers for the demands of modern warfare.

The new exam has been tested for two years and is expected to officially roll out in March 2022. It replaces the 40-year-old Army Fitness Test, which tested soldiers on their ability to do two minutes of sit-ups, two minutes of push-ups and a 2 mile run.

The two-hour Army Combat Fitness Test 3.0 (ACFT) assesses movements that best match the demands of field combat, including rescuing injured personnel and loading equipment, according to Lt. Col. Gabriel Ramirez, a army spokesperson.

“There is a lot of rigors involved in being a soldier and being a soldier in combat,” Ramirez said. “ACFT is just better for soldiers as long as they can perform their duties on the battlefield.”

It consists of six exercises: a medicine ball throw, hand push-ups, deadlifts, a 2-mile run, sprint-drag-carry exercises, and leg folds or planks.

Ramirez said the new test better assesses strength, coordination and cardiovascular endurance, in addition to encouraging “a different mindset from training.” He said more activities and more intensive activities require more rigorous training, which could better prepare soldiers for work.

“When I first started preparing for ACFT, it was a huge change from training for… basic push-ups, sit-ups and running,” Sgt. First Class Nakelia Ramey said in a video posted to the Army’s website. “I knew the same routine was not going to work with ACFT.”

Ramey described incorporating resistance bands and other equipment into his exercises, which is not necessary when training push-ups or sit-ups. She also discussed the rehabilitation of her knees after an injury and her difficulties with the deadlift.

“Fitness is not new to soldiers, so ACFT can be a challenge, but we are able to overcome it,” said Ramey.

He said ACFT has been used for years to collect data on its effectiveness but has not yet been used as a performance review.

The latest version, ACFT 3.0, is the most recent data-driven change. The most significant change, from version 2.0, includes the plank as a substitute for the curved legs to cope with the higher failure rates in women with the curved legs. The plank and leg curl both rate core strength, military officials said, and would be considered the same in terms of scoring.

However, more than half of women still fail the re-exam, according to data from the Armed Forces Command posted on Military.com. Women in the military have expressed concern that the military will prioritize physical strength over leadership qualities or technical skills required in the high tech age and may unintentionally marginalize women in the military and Underutilize people, in general, with useful skills outside of physical fitness, The Washington Post reported last year.

“I think most people, most individuals, with the proper training can pass the test,” Ramirez said.

Another possible change to address the higher failure rate among women would be the use of a performance level program that takes gender into account, military officials said.

“There will always be discussions,” said Ramirez. “I think the most important thing for us is that we need to get data to make informed decisions.”